TWENTY

The hell house crumpled as we pressed the attack, and between my bullets and Aerith's magic, we forced it back. I hadn't known she could cast spells, but after seeing her use her abilities to help heal my injuries almost two weeks ago, nothing about her really surprised me anymore. A blast of fire seared the mech as she unloaded with her materia again. And while Aerith did that, the green orb shining brightly on her staff, I took out one of my special new grenades.

After buying another batch of regular pineapples from the weapon store the day after I'd finished creating my new outfit, I had taken them to my little work area near the edge of town and had spent a few hours tweaking them. I'd taken them apart and rewired them, adjusting their components and increasing their explosive yield by about four times. It had been slow and delicate work, but I'd been determined to do it. And I did. It was my first new weapon design in years.

On a whim, I'd also gone and bought some paint, red and purple. It hadn't been necessary, but I had decided to give my newest creations a more personal touch. So I had colored the grenades purple, aside from the handles, which I'd made red. And as I had done that, I'd decided to give them their own special name—the raspberry. After me, of course. That's also what they looked like. Purple raspberries.

I took one out. "Aerith, back up!"

She nodded and fell back. "You got this, Jessie!"

My eyes fixed on the damaged hell house, I pulled out the pin and hurled the raspberry at it, then dove for cover. The explosion was huge, tearing the mech apart and filling the abandoned junkyard with a blast of thunder. Aerith and I lay sprawled flat upon the ground as shrapnel and debris flew in all directions. When the dust settled a few moments later, we slowly stood up again.

"Nailed it!" Aerith cheered.

"Yeah," I smiled grimly. "We sure did."

Walking back over to me, she lifted her hand above her head, palm outward, and grinned. "Jessie! Up top!"

I gave her a high five. "How many is that now?"

"Let's see…" Aerith thought for a moment. "Nine, not counting the first one you took out."

That sounded about right. "So, ten altogether."

She brushed off her dress. "Yep. Not bad for only a few days' work! I bet we've lost a little weight, too!"

"Probably," I chuckled.

"Ready to head back?" Aerith asked.

I tugged at my gloves. "Sure. It'll be dark soon anyway."

"Then let's get going. We'll head home and grab a bite to eat. Then I'll go on up to the plate. Business has been a little slow with the theater closed, but I should still make a few sales."

"It'll pick up once the show's back on," I sighed.

I'd heard about LOVELESS Theater closing down after I'd escaped to the slums. My unexpected disappearance must've caught everybody off guard up there. I missed my friends, I missed being on stage under the lights, performing in front of the audience. But there was no going back. I couldn't. Not for a long time, at least.

Aerith gently took my shoulder. "Maybe, but whoever gets the role won't be half as good as you."

"Thanks," I said. "You sure about that?"

"Absolutely! They still talk about you up there, you know. People in Sector 8. All over Midgar, in fact. They loved seeing you bring that old story to life. And they hope you'll come back someday."

I wiped a tear from my eye. "Really?"

"They won't forget you, Jessie," Aerith promised.

"I hope you're right," I said.

She slid her arm around me as we walked down the dirt rail. "I am. And you'll get back there someday. To the stage. Might be a while, but I know you'll make it."

I laughed. "Another hunch?"

"You could say that," Aerith chuckled.

Although I'd only been gone for about a month so far, I knew how show business worked and how fickle fame could be. People tended to move on to the next new thing. It made me happy, though, to know I'd made an impression during my short run in the play, that I wouldn't be forgotten. And I hoped Aerith was right, that somehow I'd find my way back there one day. I knew it wouldn't be anytime soon, but… it was at least something to wish for and work toward.

"Well, if I do, I expect to see you there," I told her.

She nodded and winked. "Of course! One way or another, I will be, Jessie. That's a promise."

We made it back to town without any trouble and were just passing the Leaf House when Lena came up to us, a worried look on her face as she hurried across the yard. Sometimes she was the one who went with me to hunt down hell houses if Aerith was busy elsewhere or up on the plate selling flowers. I'd done some work on Lena's gun, making it more powerful like she'd wanted, and she was a pretty good shot. The mechs usually didn't last long between us.

"There you are!" she breathed, catching her breath.

I frowned. "What's wrong, Lena?"

"Are the kids alright?" Aerith asked. "Nobody's hurt, are they?"

Lena shook her head. "No, everybody's fine. It's just that somebody came here looking for you earlier. He was asking about the flower girl. That'd be you. Might still be in the area, so be careful."

Her eyes narrowed. "What did he look like?"

"Tall, with long black hair and brown eyes," Lena answered. "Wore a dark blue suit, white shirt, black tie. Oh, and he had some kind of dot on his forehead. Really weird."

I shivered. "Tseng…"

She blinked. "Who's that?"

"Nobody," Aerith insisted. "Was he alone?"

"Yeah. It was just him. He left when Tess told him you weren't here. I don't know where he went, though."

I stared at Lena. "Did she say anything about me?"

"No, not a word. Why?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Aerith told her.

I sighed in relief. Tseng didn't know I was here. Although he didn't seem to have been looking for me, I knew I couldn't let him see me. He still had orders from my father to kill me, no doubt. But I found myself wondering why he was in the slums. What could he possibly want with Aerith? Why was he searching for her?

I glanced at her. "We'd better get back home."

"No," Aerith ordered, pulling me aside and away from Lena so that we could talk privately. "You stay here, Jessie."

"What's going on? Why's Tseng looking for you?"

She sighed. "He's probably at the house by now. I've known him for a long time. Ever since I was little. He visits once in a while. Not often, though. The last time was years ago."

I stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry. I should've. I'd just thought, because it had been so long since Tseng's last visit, that it would be safe for you to stay with us for a little while. Just keep out of sight until I come back."

"What about your mom?" I asked.

Aerith gave me a reassuring smile. "She won't say anything. I asked her not to, the night I brought you home."

"Thanks," I breathed.

"We won't let him find you," she promised. "Understand?"

Now I was the one smiling. "Yeah. I'll go spend some time with the kids while you check things out at home."

"That's a plan!" Aerith agreed.

I watched as she headed down the narrow trail leading out of town toward her house, and when she stopped for a minute to wave at me, I waved back. Once Aerith had disappeared around the corner, I went to see Lena, who'd been waiting where we'd left her. She and I talked for a bit as we walked into the orphanage to see everyone.

It was a good visit, and I had a lot of fun, but the thought of Tseng being nearby was always in the back of my mind. I didn't let anyone see my worry, though. I put on a cheerful smile like the comfortable mask it often was. Aerith showed up about twenty minutes later, all smiles as she greeted everyone. But when she and I left not long afterward to go home, she grew serious as soon as we were alone.

"What's wrong?" I wondered.

Aerith's voice was quiet when she answered. "Like I thought, it was one of his little visits. He keeps asking me to come back to Shinra with him. Of course, I said no."

I didn't blame her. "If they want you so bad, why don't they just use their troops to bring you in?"

"What they want me for, they believe I have to go to them willingly or it won't work. And they won't hurt me because they need me. So I've been left alone, for the most part."

I remembered then how Tseng hadn't allowed the soldiers to attack her the night I'd left the plate when she had shielded Kunsel and I after we had been surrounded. She must've been counting on it, knowing all along that he wouldn't let them hurt her, and had used that fact to help us escape the trap he'd set for us.

I looked at her as we walked. "Why do they want you?"

"Long story," she answered. "But let's just say I'm one of a kind and leave it at that. Better you don't know too much. I lost a friend because she couldn't handle it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Aerith went on. "Kyrie figured out what I am, and it scared her. So she left, years ago. I don't want to lose you, too."

I took her shoulder. "You won't, Aerith. You've done way too much for me to even think of ending our friendship. And no matter what you are or why Shinra wants you, that's not gonna change."

"Thanks, Jessie. You're the best, you know that?" she grinned.

"Right back at ya!" I laughed.

As we got close to her house, Aerith's mood sobered again. "Tseng told us, before he left tonight, that he'd be back. I don't know when, but I don't think it'll be too long."

"Then I'd better be moving on," I decided.

She didn't seem surprised. "Are you sure? We can figure something out so you don't have to leave."

My mind was made up. "Positive. I can't let him find me."

"I understand," Aerith said. "You'll be okay?"

"I will, yeah. I've been expecting something like this, actually. Been preparing for it. You know that backpack of mine? I've turned it into a little emergency kit of sorts. Set a few things aside in case I ever had to leave in a hurry again like last time."

She chuckled. "Always prepared, eh?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I kinda have to be, now."

"I can imagine. So anyway, where do you think you'll go?"

I thought for a minute. "I'm not sure. Lena mentioned a brother in Sector 7. Might be worth a look."

"And your work?" Aerith wondered.

"I'll swing back this way for that whenever I can," I explained. "I'm not gonna leave my customers hanging. But I won't stay long, just to be safe. I'll get my work done and head out."

Aerith nodded. "Makes sense. Just be to sure to visit me!"

I winked. "Of course!"

"So… when are you gonna leave?" she asked.

"In a few days," I decided. "I need time to finish up all the jobs I've got first and pick up a few supplies. Then I'll go."

When we got to the front door, we both paused for a minute before going inside. Although I had known ever since Aerith had first brought me here that I'd have to leave someday, it was still hard. I'd hoped that I would've been able to stay in Sector 5 when that happened, but I'd also known that it might not have been possible. And with Tseng coming to visit Aerith unannounced, I couldn't take the chance of being spotted if and when he came back again.

She gazed at me. "Kinda got used to having you around, Jessie. Felt like you were part of the family."

"I felt that way, too," I smiled. "And I appreciate it."

"Just the truth. I guess we'd better go on inside and break the news to Mom, though. Then we'll have some dinner and figure out a plan to help you move to Sector 7. Sound good?"

It did. "Yeah. Have you ever been there before?"

"No, but I've heard a little about it," Aerith answered. "And I know how to get there. It's a nice place, actually. About as nice as you can get down here in the slums, anyway. You'll do fine."

I hoped she was right. But by now, I'd gotten used to going off into the unknown. It was practically second nature. And at least this time, I could leave on my own terms. I wouldn't be cut off, either. As long as I was careful, I could still stop by and visit for a little while from time to time. And I was really glad for that.

Three days later, Aerith and I stood near the edge of town, looking out to the west, toward the outskirts leading to Sector 6. I had my gray backpack on my shoulders, tools and raspberries in my belt pouch, and my gun on my hip. I was about as ready to go as I could be. All I had to do now was say goodbye. I'd already said my farewells to the kids at the Leaf House earlier as well as my other friends there. I hadn't seen Lena, though. But I wished I could have.

"Well, I guess this is it…" I sighed.

Aerith nodded. "Yeah. There's an old abandoned playground at the end of the collapsed expressway. Evergreen Park. Sold my flowers there once, a long time ago. The gate to Sector 7's on the other side. You can't miss it. But it's usually closed."

"So how do I get in?" I wondered.

"There's a road leading away from the park," she explained. "It goes to Wall Market. It can be a rough place, especially for women. But you shouldn't need to actually go inside. I've heard there's a delivery service that takes people places for a price. Chocobo rides! But at least for now, it only goes between Sectors 6 and 7."

That sounded fun. "There's a stop near Wall Market?"

"The main stable, I think. It's right outside the town's entrance. You should be able to hitch a ride into Sector 7 from there. The drivers can open the gate and take you right in."

"Guess I'll make my entrance in style, then," I laughed.

Aerith giggled. "Yep! Or, if you want to be a bit more adventurous, there's supposedly a secret underground passage leading from the park to Sector 7. I'd have to go there myself to find it since I don't remember exactly where it is, though."

"I think I'll just stick with the chocobos," I decided. "They're cuter, and getting a ride sounds easy enough."

She smiled. "Better get going, then. Take care, okay?"

I hugged her. "I will, Aerith. And thank you. For everything."

"Don't mention it," she hugged me back.

Although this was another hard goodbye, it didn't feel permanent, like the others I'd gone through. I'd see her again someday. Like I'd told her, I'd visit whenever my work took me over here. Although if I could get my business going in Sector 7 as well, I'd be pretty busy. So my time would be limited. But I'd take what I could get.

Eventually, we let go of each other. It was time. Assuming my little trip went well, it would take me almost an hour to cross the expressway and get to the park. And another twenty minutes or so on top of that to reach the chocobo stable outside Wall Market.

I'd spent time over the last few days studying maps of the area, so I had a fairly good idea of how to get to where I was going. With luck, I'd reach Sector 7 before dark. Then I'd get a room at the inn for the night and figure out my next move from there. Taking a deep breath, I gazed out at the long, empty road ahead of me, adjusted my backpack on my shoulders, and started walking.

After taking a few steps, I waved at her. "Goodbye, Aerith."

"Bye, Jessie!" she waved back. "Good luck!"

Giving her a smile, I turned and headed on down the trail, putting Sector 5 behind me. It was almost fun in a way, this journey of mine. I didn't know what I'd find in Sector 7, but I felt good about it and more hopeful than I'd been in a while. Although I wouldn't forget the friends I'd made here, I looked forward to making some new ones in the home that I was going to. I was actually excited as I made my way slowly but steadily down the junk-lined road.

About fifteen minutes later, I reached the entrance to the collapsed expressway. It was quiet, and I hadn't seen anything so far aside from a few hedgehog pies. I'd snuck past them easily enough, and they'd never even known I was there. I couldn't help feeling as if there were eyes on me, though. Didn't know why, but it had been nagging at me more and more over the past few minutes.

I took a last look around, then went inside. The road was concrete, a broken mess, with entire sections sunk deep into the ground. It was a long trip with lots of climbing, and I was sweating from exertion after a good half hour of traveling. Large mechanical hands sat silently by the walls here and there, giant pieces of construction equipment. They still worked but had been abandoned by Shinra years ago after they'd given up on rebuilding Sector 6.

I found the campfire in one of the ravines.

It was still burning, and I immediately scanned the area, looking to see who it belonged to. I found out a minute later when three shadowy figures leaped down from another elevated section of the expressway at the far end of the ravine. Two were bald while the third had a mohawk tied back in a dirty yellow tail.

They all wore pointed dark gray masks that went down below their chins. I'd heard that there were a few gangs prowling around the sector, but this was the first time I'd ever run them myself. All three men wore faded blue jeans. A wiry guy to the left had a light gray half-shirt while the one sporting the mohawk was heavyset and hunched over, a leather harness over his bare chest. The third had a sleeveless red tank top and was the tallest of them. And probably the leader.

"Well, hello, missy!" he sneered. "What have we got here?"

The thug with the mohawk scampered over. "She's real cute, Beck! Can we have her? Can we?"

Beck glanced at him. "All in good time, Butch."

"Don't bother," I growled.

"Got some spunk in ya," he laughed. "I like that! But you still don't got a clue who you're dealin' with."

I narrowed my eyes. "Then tell me."

He spread his arms out wide. "Beck. Leader of Beck's Badasses, the meanest and toughest gang in the slums!"

"Uh, Beck?" Butch asked. "Thought that was Vice."

"Shut up! Vice ain't got nothin' on us! Friggin' amateurs!"

I moved my hand slowly toward my gun. "Guess you don't like the competition, do you?"

"Ain't no contest, girlie!" Beck said. "We'll show ya!"

"That so?" I said.

He snickered. "Better believe it, bitch! Give us all you got on ya and maybe we'll let you walk outta here alive. If you don't, we'll still take all you've got. Only you'll be keepin' us company tonight, too. So what's it gonna be? Choice is yours, babe."

"How about neither?" a voice called.

A slender figure suddenly jumped into the ravine, gun drawn, and landed on her feet next to me as I whipped out my own and fixed it on Beck before he even knew what was happening. Butch staggered back a step while the third goon glanced anxiously at us.

"Lena!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing out here?"

"Backing you up, of course!" she said.

Beck drew a pair of sharp knives. "Two for one! I like that deal. We ain't scared, are we, boys?"

The third bandit shook his head. "Nope!"

"Let's get 'em, Burke!" Butch agreed, clenching his fists.

The three thugs fanned out around us in a circle, then closed in on us. Butch charged at Lena, but she sidestepped easily and smacked him across the face with the side of her gun barrel while Beck moved in fast against me with his knives before I could get a shot off. I ducked low as he swept them at me one after the other then quickly rolled aside when Burke tried to grab me from behind.

When Butch rushed at Lena again, she holstered her gun, took him by the shoulder, and used his own momentum to throw him hard onto the ground. He groaned and staggered back to his feet. Beck kept going after me, slicing again and again, but I was too fast and drove him back with a few shots at the ground in front of his feet.

I heard Burke sneaking up on me again, but I drove my elbow into his gut before he could touch me. As he fell back, I spun to the left, hit Beck with a backhand punch, and drove my gun barrel into his crotch. He froze instantly, his eyes locked on mine as I quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and stared him down.

"Get lost, asshole," I told him. "Or I'll do my very best to give you a sex change operation!"

Butch laughed. "Beck! Beck! I got her! Look!"

He and I both turned to see Butch and Burke holding Lena, an arm in each of their hands. Burke must've caught her from behind like he'd tried to do to me. While Butch let go of her and pranced around, Burke wrapped his other arm around her so he was gripping her firmly from behind, pinning her arms to her sides.

Beck shoved me away. "My, how the tables have turned…"

"And they're not done yet," I said.

"Huh?" he blinked. "We've got your friend, missy. Make one wrong move and she's dog bait!"

I pretended to give in. "Alright…"

He and his thugs were dangerous, but not very smart. I'd picked up on that right away. And I knew I could use that to save Lena. I dropped my gun on the ground, and while Beck, Butch, and Burke cackled and watched it fall, I reached into my belt pouch and took out a raspberry. By the time they'd brought their attention back to me, I'd held it up and settled my other hand firmly on the pin.

"Psych!" I smirked.

"Shit!" Burke swore. "Girl's got a bomb!"

Butch shook his head. "She ain't gonna do it! She'd be killin' herself and her friend! No way!"

"Better than letting you bastards have us," I countered.

Beck sneered. "You ain't got the guts, girl."

I pulled out the pin. "You sure about that, Beck? Show me how fast you can run. After you let my friend go."

Burke dropped Lena at once. "I'm outta here!"

"Wait, Burke! Wait for me!" Butch sprinted right after him.

"Idiots!" Beck snarled. Then he ran off, too.

I didn't relax until they were long gone. As they scampered hastily up the side of the embankment the way I'd come and disappeared, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Then I went to Lena, but before I could say anything, she pointed to my hand.

"The grenade!" she said. "It's gonna blow!"

I grinned and showed it to her. "Nope! It won't. No need to worry, Lena. Everything's fine."

Slowly, I moved my fingers so she could see the top of the grenade, and when she finally did, she started laughing. The pin was still firmly in place. I had only pretended to pull it, though I'd have done it for real if I'd had to. But Beck and his goons had fallen for my little trick, just as I'd known they would. It had been a bluff, to be sure, but a safe enough one. And it had paid off just as I'd hoped.

"You really fooled 'em!" Lena chuckled. "And me, too!"

I hugged her. "You okay?"

She let go after a moment and brushed herself off. "Yeah, thanks. I hope you don't mind me dropping in on ya."

"Not at all! Were you following me back there?"

"Yeah," Lena said. "I'd heard you were leaving, but I didn't believe it at first. When I saw you were serious, though, I decided that the least I could do was make sure you got to Sector 7 safely. Looks like I was the one that needed your help, though."

I took her shoulder. "I'm still glad you came, Lena."

"Thanks! I'll see you as far as the gate, if that's okay. Then I'll head back home once we get there."

"That's fine," I agreed. "But don't you want to see your brother? I'm sure he'd enjoy a visit, and we're already going there anyway. Why don't you come along and see him?"

Lena smiled. "I can always pop in on him another time. Something tells me you should meet him on your own. And besides… I try not to stay out here too long if I can help it."

"Why not?" I wondered.

"Nothing serious. I just don't do well in these parts."

I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I wasn't going to force the issue, either. It would be nice to have some company, at least for a little while. We chatted as we retrieved our weapons and got underway, and we made good time as we headed further down the old expressway. By the time we finally reached the other end, it was already late afternoon. Night would be here before long.

Lena and I were walking down the path leading to the playground Aerith had told me about when the mako smell hit us. I'd started to get used to it a little during my time in Sector 5, but it still curled my nose. I was shocked by Lena's reaction, though.

Her hands flew straight to her mouth, and she started coughing so hard and so much that she doubled over. It took a few moments for her to get it all out as I put an arm around her. Lena clung to me, dizzy as I led her to a small scrap pile where we could sit down for a moment. As we got close, though, she suddenly let go of me, lurched a few steps off to the side of the road, and threw up.

"What's wrong?" I asked when she came back.

Lena let me help her sit down next to me as she answered. "It's the mako fumes, Jessie. For most people, they just smell bad. But for a few like me, it's a lot worse. My head's killing me, and my stomach still feels like the inside of an early morning hangover."

I stared at her. "Does your brother know about this?"

"Of course he does. He's always known. If I'm around the fumes for too long, I'll be in bed for days. I can already tell I'm gonna have to call it an early night when I get back home. Our mom was the same way. It took her away from us back when we were kids. That's how we wound up at the Leaf House. We grew up there."

"I'm sorry," I held her. "About your mom. I lost mine, too."

Lena hugged me back. "Guess we have that in common, Jessie. You must miss her a lot."

I did. "Yeah. I do, Lena. Same as you."

"Bummer, ain't it?" she said.

"Yeah, totally. But at least we're not alone," I reminded her. "We can help each other out. And speaking of which, are you sure you'll be able to get home alright? I'm worried about you."

Lena laughed. "I'll be fine. Just need to rest a moment, that's all. As long as I go slowly and don't push myself too hard, I can make it. Done it before, lots of times. I can do it again."

I nodded. "Okay. Just be sure to watch out for Beck and his thugs. I don't want them to get you."

"I can be quiet as a mouse when I want to be," she winked.

"Good enough, then," I said. "Message me after you get back home, okay? I'll give you my number."

Lena smirked. "You're almost as bad a worrier as Biggs!"

"Guess I'm in good company, then," I teased. "Ready to move on? I can wait a little longer if you need more time."

"I'll be fine," she said, letting me guide her to her feet.

I hoped so. "Then let's go. We're almost to the gate. It's just past the park. Not too far from here."

Once Lena had steadied herself, we walked down the path. I could hear her still coughing a little here and there, and her steps were a little uncertain, but she pressed on, so I didn't say anything else about it. Her short brown hair hung in damp strands under her ears, but she wore a cheerful smile, refusing to let her condition stop her.

Evergreen Park was a nice little place, with swings and a cute slide in the shape of a goofy, dome-shaped character. It had to be at least ten feet tall, and the kids must've loved it back when they had still come to play here. It had been long abandoned, though. Another, smaller dome sat off to one side, with a small tunnel in it for kids to crawl through. It looked like fun, though the emptiness of the place was a little sad. And at the far end of the park stood the gate.

It was huge, a pair of thick metal doors set into the wall separating Sectors 6 and 7. Past them was my destination, and off the right, a road ran further on, no doubt leading to Wall Market. My next stop, to get a ride through the gate. My little journey was almost over. As Lena and I walked through the park to stand in front of the gate, I looked at her. It was time for her to go home.

"Thanks for coming with me," I said.

She grinned. "You're welcome, Jessie. It was fun! And don't worry, you'll do fine in Sector 7."

I thought I would, actually. "Yeah. I think you're right, Lena. I have a good feeling about this place. You take care of yourself and be careful on your way home, okay?"

"I will. And I'll let you know when I get back."

After giving her my number, I hugged her again, then waved as she walked away back toward the old highway. Lena waved back. I thought she still looked somewhat green, but then I reminded myself that she'd be alright. She'd surely had to deal with her mako sensitivity all her life and knew how to handle it. Once she had moved on and I couldn't see her anymore, I headed down the dirt road toward Wall Market and the chocobo stables to find a way into Sector 7.